Holiday Honey Challah

Recipe by: Faye Levy | from 1,000 Jewish Recipes

Cookstr

Total Time: Under 4 Hours

Skill Level: Easy

Cost: Inexpensive

Photo by: Joseph De Leo

Honey gives this challah a distinctive pleasing flavor. The dough is a little stickier than most bread doughs and takes a bit longer to rise. It’s easiest to bake in a simple loaf pan, as in this recipe, but if you like, you can form it into a round, following the directions in Round Rosh Hashanah Challah and bake it for the Jewish New Year. To emphasize the bread’s sweetness, you can add raisins if you like. Honey makes the dough easiest to make in a mixer. You can also make it by hand.

Yield: Makes 1 medium loaf

INGREDIENTS

3 large eggs
1/3 to ½ cup raisins (optional)
½ cup warm water (105°F to 115°F)
1 teaspoon sugar
1 envelope dry yeast (¼ ounce or 2½ teaspoons)
About 3 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
¼ cup plus 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
¼ cup liquid honey
1½ teaspoons salt

Directions

1. Set aside 1 egg for glaze and raisins, if using. Using remaining ingredients above, prepare Basic Challah Dough, Prepared By Mixer through step 5, adding honey after oil.

2. Put raisins, if using, in medium bowl. Add enough warm water to cover and soak them for 15 minutes. Thoroughly oil or grease an 8 × 4-inch loaf pan. Drain raisins well, put on paper towels, and pat dry. Sprinkle about half of raisins over dough and knead in lightly by slapping dough in bowl. Repeat with remaining raisins. Turn dough out onto work surface. Knead thoroughly until raisins are well distributed.

3. Pat dough to rough 8 × 4-inch rectangle. Roll up from longer side into a cylinder, pressing firmly. Pinch ends and seam tightly. Then roll cylinder again on work surface to press seam further. Place in pan seam-side down.

4. Cover loaf with a warm, slightly damp cloth and let rise until nearly doubled, about 1 hour. Preheat oven to 375°F.

5. Beat remaining egg with a pinch of salt. Brush top of risen loaf gently with beaten egg. Bake bread 15 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 325°F. Bake about 35 minutes or until top and bottom of bread are firm and bread sounds hollow when tapped on bottom; if loaf browns too quickly, cover loosely with brown paper or foil. Turn out of pan; if bread appears to be sticking, run a metal spatula or a thin knife carefully around bread. Cool on rack.

NUTRITIONAL INFORMATION

Nutrients per serving (% daily value)

Nutritional information is based on 16 servings and includes the optional raisins.

Calories 177kcal (9%)

Calcium 12mg (1%)

Vitamin C 0mg (0%)

Vitamin A 13mcg RAE (0%)

Potassium 80mg

Magnesium 8mg

Protein 4g

Sugar 7g

Fiber 1g